Conference of Defence Associations Institute

CDA Institute
  • 5.0 (1)
  • POLITICS

The CDA Institute's programming convenes experts in Canadian defence, international security, and politics to provide nuanced discussion about current and ongoing issues in defence and security. https://cdainstitute.ca/

  1. How is Canada Rebuilding Its Armed Forces?

    3D AGO

    How is Canada Rebuilding Its Armed Forces?

    On today’s episode of the Expert Series, UBC Professor and CDA Institute Fellow David Borys is joined by CDAI Chair General (Ret’d) Tom Lawson and Vice-Chair Wendy Gilmour to discuss their recent National Post opinion piece on rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces. Together, they examine Canada’s defence spending and its implications for the military, including recruitment and retention challenges, procurement hurdles, and how new investments could strengthen operational readiness, support the defence industry, and position Canada amid growing geopolitical pressures. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    43 min
  2. Montreal Climate Security Summit Series, Part 3: Ukraine, Energy, and Readiness in Modern Warfare

    5D AGO

    Montreal Climate Security Summit Series, Part 3: Ukraine, Energy, and Readiness in Modern Warfare

    As Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this week, the links between defence planning, energy vulnerability, and resilience in Europe are once again front of mind. In this very timely release, the CDA Institute’s Climate Security Programme is sharing the third and final episode of its Special Expert Series highlighting key insights from the 4th Montreal Climate Security Summit, co-hosted with @NATO CCASCOE.  In this episode, Programme Director @Pauline Baudu is joined by Lennard de Klerk, lead author of The Climate Damage Caused by Russia’s War in Ukraine, produced by the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War, to examine how energy vulnerability and the environmental footprint of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are reshaping defence planning, military readiness, and European security, and what Canada and its Allies can learn to increase their own resilience.     We explore:   - Why Russia’s invasion is a 'fossil-fuel war', how energy dependence creates strategic vulnerability, and why reducing reliance on fossil fuels is now central to European resilience and autonomy - How energy infrastructure has emerged as both a primary target and a critical weakness in the Ukraine conflict, particularly for energy-dependent military operations - What lessons Canada can draw from Ukraine as it modernizes its forces and strengthens the protection of domestic energy infrastructure against hybrid threats - How the 1.5% of new NATO defence investments allocated to critical infrastructure can be leveraged to reduce military emissions, strengthen capability, and enhance long-term resilience  This episode was recorded in December 2025. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    29 min
  3. Can Carney's Canada Contend with a "Ruptured" Global Order?

    JAN 29

    Can Carney's Canada Contend with a "Ruptured" Global Order?

    On today’s episode of The Expert Series Podcast, we speak with Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist, to examine the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland, growing strains within the transatlantic alliance, and what recent developments at the World Economic Forum in Davos reveal about the future of global order.  Joshi reflects on the implications of renewed great power competition, alliance uncertainty, and the erosion of long-standing assumptions underpinning international security. The discussion explores how allies are responding to a more transactional and unpredictable U.S. approach, the challenges facing NATO and middle powers, and how Canada can navigate a rapidly changing strategic environment while balancing dependence, diversification, and sovereignty. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    29 min
  4. Montreal Climate Security Summit (MCSS) Series, Part 2: Climate Disinformation as a Strategic Risk

    JAN 25

    Montreal Climate Security Summit (MCSS) Series, Part 2: Climate Disinformation as a Strategic Risk

    The CDA Institute’s Climate Security Programme has launched a limited set of episodes of the Expert Series podcast highlighting key insights from the 4th Montreal Climate Security Summit (MCSS), co-hosted with NATO CCASCOE. Recorded following the 4th MCSS, our second episode features Director of the Climate Security Programme @Pauline Baudu in conversation with Dr. Andrew Heffernan, adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and climate associate at the Information Integrity Lab. Together, they discuss why climate disinformation is a strategic issue, not just an environmental one, and why information integrity is essential to protecting our sovereignty. Dr. Heffernan touches on how instability leads to misinformation, and how (climate) misinformation deepens polarization and distrust, why much of today’s climate misinformation is intentional and coordinated, as some actors spread disinformation to protect fossil-fuel interests, while others do it simply to divide societies, and what it means for the CAF’s mission, and how DND can be integrated in a whole-of-society response to promote information integrity. ➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdainstitute/ ➡️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/CDAInstitute ➡️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cdainstitute.bsky.social ➡️ Instagram: https://bit.ly/42ih7SU 📬 Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest defence and security updates delivered to your inbox: https://bit.ly/4fQ2wDV The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    34 min
  5. What do Trump's Greenland Ambitions mean for Canada and NATO?

    JAN 22

    What do Trump's Greenland Ambitions mean for Canada and NATO?

    On today’s episode of The Expert Series Podcast, Climate Security Programme Director, Pauline Baudu talks with leading experts about Greenland and Arctic security amid renewed tensions triggered by the current U.S. administration’s annexation rhetoric and its implications for Canadian security and relations with European and NATO allies. The discussion explores why Greenland has re-emerged as a focal point of U.S. strategic interest and what this signals for the future of Arctic governance, alliance cohesion, and regional stability. Panelists Exner-Pirot, Huebert, and Maddox assess the strategic rationale underpinning U.S. interest in Greenland, including energy resources, military positioning, and broader security considerations, alongside a reality-check on the scope and limits of Arctic resource development potential. The conversation also addresses the implications for Europe and NATO, the risks posed to alliance unity, and the potential consequences for Canada’s security, energy interests, and diplomatic posture in an increasingly contested Arctic environment. Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot is a Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Ottawa. Dr. Rob Huebert is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary, Director of the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies and fellow at the CDA Institute. Ms. Marisol Maddox is a senior Arctic fellow at the Institute of Arctic Studies in the Dickey Center at Dartmouth University and fellow at the CDA Institute. ➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdainstitute/ ➡️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/CDAInstitute ➡️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cdainstitute.bsky.social ➡️ Instagram: https://bit.ly/42ih7SU 📬 Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest defence and security updates delivered to your inbox: https://bit.ly/4fQ2wDV The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    59 min
  6. The Evolving Role of the National Security and Intelligence Advisor

    JAN 16

    The Evolving Role of the National Security and Intelligence Advisor

    The role of Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA) has become increasingly pivotal in response to a rapidly evolving global security environment. Created in 2005, the position was designed to address gaps in Canada’s national security architecture and to ensure the Prime Minister had a dedicated advisor to navigate the complex world of security and intelligence.  Since then, the NSIA has had to adapt to a new reality in which many of the most significant threats originate beyond Canada’s borders. The return of revanchist authoritarian states such as Russia and China, the unpredictable foreign policy of the United States under Donald Trump, and the growing threat of cyber warfare, foreign interference, and grey-zone conflict have all underscored the expanding scope and urgency of the NSIA’s work. On today’s podcast, inspired by their recent CIGI article 'Getting Serious About National Security', we spoke with Vincent Rigby and Adam Chapnick about how the NSIA’s role has evolved over time, the challenges it faces today, whether or not Canada has begun to take its national security more seriously, and what lies ahead in an increasingly unstable world. They also discuss both the practical and strategic changes within Canada’s national security framework and consider how future holders of the NSIA position can navigate an increasingly complex threat environment. Link to article: https://www.cigionline.org/publications/getting-serious-about-national-security/ ➡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdainstitute/ ➡️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/CDAInstitute ➡️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cdainstitute.bsky.social ➡️ Instagram: https://bit.ly/42ih7SU 📬 Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest defence and security updates delivered to your inbox: https://bit.ly/4fQ2wDV The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    48 min
  7. Venezuela, Greenland and the 'Donroe Doctrine'

    JAN 9

    Venezuela, Greenland and the 'Donroe Doctrine'

    On Today’s episode of The Expert Series Podcast, Dr. Roland Paris, Ben Rowswell, and Dr. Kamran Bokhari examine the recent U.S. strikes on Venezuela, the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, President Trump’s renewed discussion around the potential acquisition of Greenland, and what pivots in U.S. national security strategy and renewed focus on the Western hemisphere mean for Canadian and global security. Paris, Rowswell, and Bokhari discuss the implications of U.S. strikes on Venezuela and the removal of President Maduro for regional and international security, historical precedent and U.S.-Venezuela relations, whether or not U.S. actions present challenges for state sovereignty and international law, the strategic logic behind a renewed U.S. focus on the Western Hemisphere and the reassertion of its regional influence, President Trump’s remarks about taking Greenland and its geopolitical influence, the risks of further regional and global instability, what shifts in U.S. foreign policy and the National Security Strategy mean for NATO, continental security, and Canada’s position as a middle power in a changing international system. Roland Paris is a Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, and former Senior Advisor on Foreign Policy to the Prime Minister of Canada, Ben Rowswell is a consultant with Catalyze4, who previously served as Canada’s chargé d’affaires in Iraq from 2003 to 2005 and as Canada’s Ambassador to Venezuela from 2014 to 2017, and Dr. Kamran Bokhari is a Senior Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington of which he is a key founder, and also teaches graduate level courses at Georgetown University. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    1h 10m
  8. 2025 Year in Review: Is Canada Prepared for the Threats & Challenges Ahead?

    12/19/2025

    2025 Year in Review: Is Canada Prepared for the Threats & Challenges Ahead?

    From the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump to the Defence Investment Strategy, Budget 2025, the CPSP downselection, Canada’s integration into ReArm Europe, and this summer’s NATO Summit announcement that Canada would meet the 2% GDP target for defence spending, General Tom Lawson, Wendy Gilmour, and Dr. Rob Huebert joined the season finale of The Expert Series to reflect on the most consequential defence and security developments of the year and offer a threat assessment for 2026. The panel discussed this year’s rise in Canadian defence spending and the establishment of the Defence Investment Strategy; the impact of global developments such as the uncertainty of U.S. foreign policy under President Trump; the need to modernize Canada’s military capabilities, rebuild personnel, and strengthen the defence industrial base; as well as the necessity of pursuing strategic autonomy and diversifying partnerships with Europe and other like-minded nations. Central to the discussion was President Trump’s return to office, which has upended longstanding assumptions underpinning Canadian security and has raised questions about U.S. reliability as an ally. The panel examined the U.S. National Security Strategy and the potential long-term implications for Canada and the broader democratic world. ➡️ LinkedIn:   / cdainstitute  ➡️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/CDAInstitute ➡️ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cdainstitute... ➡️ Instagram: https://bit.ly/42ih7SU 📬 Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest defence and security updates delivered to your inbox: https://bit.ly/4fQ2wDV The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security. Learn more: CDA Institute

    54 min
See All (111)

About

The CDA Institute's programming convenes experts in Canadian defence, international security, and politics to provide nuanced discussion about current and ongoing issues in defence and security. https://cdainstitute.ca/

Information

You Might Also Like